The authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo have officially announced the opening of a criminal case against former president Joseph Kabila. According to a statement from the Ministry of Justice, the minister has ordered an investigation into the ex-president, who is suspected of facilitating armed intervention by Rwanda through the M23 movement, which is recognized as a terrorist organization by the Congolese government.
The official communiqué also states that all property belonging to Joseph Kabila will be confiscated, and travel restrictions have been imposed on his close associates who have been implicated in the case. These actions are part of a broader investigation into state treason.
Previously, it was reported that activities of the "People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy" (PPRD), led by Kabila, were suspended. Since April 15, authorities have been conducting searches in one of Kabila's properties in Kinshasa. This move followed public accusations by the current president, Félix Tshisekedi, who claimed that Kabila is in direct contact with the M23 rebels.
Earlier in March, the military prosecutor's office summoned several influential PPRD members for questioning, including former parliamentary speaker Aubin Minaku and ex-minister of the interior Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary.
Since 2021, M23 has seized large territories in the east of the DRC, causing thousands of residents to flee and resulting in a major humanitarian crisis. Both the government in Kinshasa and the United Nations accuse Rwanda of supporting M23 by supplying weapons and deploying troops in North Kivu province. Kigali denies these accusations, stating its actions are defensive in nature, and in turn accuses Congo of backing the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) militants.
